Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back
The Journey loses it’s excitement in the translation I think?
I’m rooting for the Chinese blockbuster, I like the idea of the Chinese making these big epic tales on Chinese literature, that have massive Hollywood CGI all over it, but it seems that doing this makes it just as hit or miss as the American blockbusters. It just does not feel as skilled or crafted as the Kung fu flicks I grew up with.
Journey To The West bored me, the same way that Monkey King 2 bored me. I’m starting to think that maybe the monkey king is not my thing, but I do recall seeing a stage production at the Met that I really liked, Plus DragonBall has to be some sort of adaption to the character do to a big likeness between the two (Same way Marvel’s Thor is similar but does not full mimic the Norse mythology).
Maybe unlike anime, I can’t watch these movies with subtitles . As an American use to Hollywood Blockbusters when I see an actor alone on a screen interacting with characters that were made in a computer, I’m expecting a lot more action adventure to my Fantasy, but all I got here was talk. This may have not been that bad but I feel that the comedy did not translate well with subtitles. Having to read and look at the visuals did not work this time.
Plus the anime style cartoonery did not translate well to live action. Some of the visual gags timing was fine, but it really did not click. I appreciate the attempt but I just thought it was stupid in the long run.
Like with Monkey King 2, my favorite part of this film was the lone epic action scene at the end of the movie that was big and the reason that anyone would buy a ticket to see it in 3D. Although it’s not worth the ticket cause that one scene does not make this movie. I’ve seen films that one part can make the whole movie but The Demons Strike Back is not complex enough for that. It starts slow continues slow and then ends epic but that greatness does not make up for all the slowness.
The visual effects are OK but not good enough for a picture to bore me with them. Very standard an unimpressive (Except for the 3D spectacular that ends the film).
Maybe my knowledge (Or lack of) the Monkey King is steering my judgement, maybe I’m expecting too much from a Chinese Blockbuster (My favorite part was at the end credits when the filmmakers did a bit that confirms that this movie is the Chinese version of the Blockbuster), but this latest adaption of Journey To The West is not doing it for me at all. Maybe I need to see if they do an English dub that might translate better, and change my mine.
